Yes. Puppy eyes are a thing, and yes, your dog knows it fools you.
The canine brain is just as complex as humans. They represent similar structures, functions and actions but there are still many unanswered questions when it comes to our furry best friends. Especially what’s on their mind, and why exactly they thought it was a good idea to eat all of the toilet paper during a national shortage.
Dogs’ behaviors are driven by intent and the stimuli around them such as people, noises, smells or other animals. As mentioned in our previous article, a dog’s theory of mind is the ability to observe what another species might be thinking. Canines see the emotions, actions and intent of those around them, reflect and then prepare a response based on their analysis. However, over time, and through training, we can help shape a canine to understand when and how to properly act.
Like humans, dogs develop and learn the most during the earlier stages of life. The way a dog lives within its first two years will make a large impact on how it will process and understand situations around them for the rest of their life. It will take consistent use of a command to keep our dogs familiar with new training. (On a side note, a dog can still be retrained after two years of age but it will take more dedication and patience from both owner and pup.)
Owning a well-behaved dog has a lot to do with having a two-way street of communication between you and your pup. Using short commands consistently that are different from everyday words will allow your dog to understand the behavior expected from them. Take a second to think about your dog’s theory of mind. What might they be feeling or trying to tell you? Keeping an open mind is always beneficial when bonding with your pets, and it also helps our ability to guide them towards smart choices.
Two driving factors informing our dog’s intentions and judgment are social tolerance and social attentiveness. In dogs, social tolerance is the acceptance a dog shows when faced with new, potentially uncomfortable stimuli. Social tolerance has to do with understanding what emotions, behaviors, and situations are presented to them. Then how they should react to those present stimuli. One common example is how many puppies do not like to be poked, prodded and pet. Social tolerance is something that develops over time and builds in alignment with the positive experiences in a dog’s life. As different stimuli are encountered and recognized as non-threatening, a dog’s sense of security and tolerance to new environments grow stronger. The phenomenon plays a large role in canines’ ability to roll with punches and keep a cool head when dealing with us crazy humans. Social tolerance is a key trait that is thought to have differentiated between ancient dogs who first teamed up with humans and their distant relatives in the wolf population.
Social attentiveness has to do with the bond dogs are able to form with people. Social attentiveness allows them to handle a broad amount of stimuli while remaining calm and focused so they can make a good choice. On the other hand, a dog with limited to no social attentiveness may need more stimuli to meet internal needs. If they don’t have stimuli this can lead to eating out of the garbage simply for stimulation. Good social attentiveness and social tolerance are determining factors for a canine to have proper judgment making-decisions.
Since our dogs’ intentions and thoughts are structured from a young age, many dogs do know the difference between right and wrong. However, this does not mean that they will always do what is right. As mentioned above, without proper leadership the dog may start bending the rules to their liking. Just as humans can manipulate one another, so can dogs because of the capability regarding Theory of Mind. Their job 24/7 is studying us; It’s not a stretch to say your dog knows you better than anyone else. Taking this a step further, your dog knows exactly which family member they can fool or manipulate. Dogs know which owners are less attentive and assertive at maintaining boundaries. Here are Wise Woofs we call dogs “world class solicitors”. They have detailed plans regarding how to get what they want.
Canines will plan to perform “bad” actions when they know they have the best chance of not getting caught. Whether that means eating the garbage in the basement where no one can see them or waiting for a more stern owner to leave so they can get away with more with the less stern owner. Dogs’ memory plays a role in forming intentions by allowing them to know the best situation to complete a notorious act. If a dog failed 9/10 times to eat the toilet paper while the family was home, they most likely would not try again, especially at that time. However, if driven with the desire due to lack of stimulation or attention, they may try when the family is not home. If the family does not communicate that eating the toilet paper was incorrect when they arrive home and take measures to discourage that behavior it’s likely the dog will continue to have their fun behind your back – Because they can!
From this we have to understand that our dogs don’t just like that taste of toilet paper or day-old leftovers from the garbage but that they are or we’re lacking the proper communication and stimulation to meet their needs. In this regard it’s important to remember that a stubborn dog is not less intelligent or trainable. In most cases they have a stronger desire to succeed in their own way and will make repeated attempts to do so. Even if that success is destroying the entire pack of mega roll-ultra soft, thirty-dollar, Charmin toilet paper.
